He lifts his hand above his head to rest it on the board holding the roof above exposing his perfectly shaped upper arm and tattoos, “He was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to two juvenile delinquents like Eno and me,’ he looks back at me, ‘and Mom too of course.”
“Oh of course, a boy and his mother, now that is a relationship baffling many a scholar and fore longed woman.” My stupid attempt to lift the mood is only met with a slight smile from him.
His eyes turn thoughtful and zero in on me, ‘she would have loved you Avery, you remind me a lot of her.” My heart actually stops in my chest, ‘strong and bull headed.” His smirk brings my laughter to a boil.
“Oh really now,’ I have joined him on the porch and I am a little concerned about the validity of the boards under my feet. Pushing those worries to back of mind I look up into the deepest soulful black eyes and I tug at his tee shirt on either side of his waist.
“Oh yeah, would fucking argue with a fence post if she so saw the need and usually won.” His smile is wide and loving as he looks down at me.
“She sounds like a wonderful woman. I wish I could have met her.” I lean the top of my head into his chest and feel his raged breath ruffles my hair. Treading lightly I study his demeanor before asking my next question, ‘when did she pass?”
He drags in a long breath, ‘four years ago, my Dad two years before her.” He looks down and watches as his boot kicks the wood softly. I plant a light kiss on his turned down forehead. Looking up at me, he smiles and returns the kiss.
“Tell me about your mother, you have never talked about her.” He pushes me back by the shoulders so I have to look up at him.
My breath catches in my throat and I almost choke, to talk about my mother was always a taboo subject in the Delany house, it infuriated me my father had been so dismissive of my mother’s memory. Feeling my tension Leo tries to back pedal.
“Avery I am sorry, you don’t have to if you don’t want.” I see the guilt in his eyes for bringing up the topic but know I should share, he has and it is now my turn to bare my deep dark hurt.
I look up at him with a steely consternation, ‘no Leo I would love to talk about her, she was perfect,’ I back away and clasp my hands to my chest and spin around, ‘she woke up in the morning singing.” Turning a skeptical eye towards him, I pause to judge his reaction to my outburst. He has leaned his back against one of the post and shoved his hands down into his jeans pockets his face is draped with a loving smile.
“Please continue Ms. Delany.” His tone warm as he gestures with his hand at me.
Warmth floods my heart that hasn’t been there in years, ‘she always had music on in the house and we would dance and laugh.” I stop as the impact of her loss finally hits me. It has been nearly eleven years but the pain is cascading over me like I just lost her yesterday, ‘my father would never let me listen to music in the house much less talk about her. After her death he took down all the family and candid photos my mother had hung with such pride of our family on the walls.” A sob escaped from my throat. I cross over to Leo’s waiting arms, ‘I think that is why I left when I had the chance, I couldn’t live in a world where the memory of my mother wasn’t allowed to exist.”
We stand silent for a long while just holding each other absorbing each other’s loss and pain hoping what we are offering is what the other needs, ‘I hated my father for just discarding her like he did, I think I still do.”
He backs me away, ‘Avery, I don’t think he discarded her.”
Stepping back offended, ‘are you defending him?”
“Yes, I think I can somewhat sympathize with him.” I have made the space between us larger.
Then it hits me, ‘because of Serena?” A shock of remorseful jealousy rips through me.
“Yes, we were not on the same level as your parents but we shared a house and a bed for three years.” Then a wave of regret for jumping on him hits me.
“Leo I am sorry I didn’t thin-“
“Avery don’t apologize,’ he takes me by the hand, ‘come on let me show you the rest,’ he stops and turns to me, ‘get ready to have your mind blown.” That is a funny statement because all the times I have been with him have left me teetering on the edge of insanity, aka mind has been blown frequently. So saying I am more than giddy to follow him through the door would be the understatement of the year.
I follow as he leads me into the one room set up. There is a small table with three chairs setting under it. The fire wood stove has rusted over and the hints of black paint are only fragments of its long ago past glory. The wood framed bed is nothing but a small mattress stuffed in boards, it is the hideous grey vertical striped pattern famous in prisons.
“This is um, nice.” I try as I look around the shabby little cabin.
He turns to me, ‘shit Avery you are a terrible liar, just so ya know, but thanks for the effort.”
“Sure, anytime.” I stumble over my feet a little when he gives me the look.
“I thought we could use this old stove,’ he crosses over placing his hand on the cast iron, ‘to cook some lunch and picnic.” His pause is full of thought, ‘and talk, there are a few things I need to tell you.”
I long sigh of relief leaves my lungs, ‘I think it is too.” Our eyes met and I find it hard to take mine away, ‘so what did you have in mind, for lunch I mean?” Or the other would be completely acceptable.
He drags a small cooler out from behind the counter, ‘I have a few things but I have to get the fire started so it can heat up.” He pops open the lid as I join him to examine the contents.
“How did you get this up here?” I point to the small loaded cooler.
“Eno.” His one word answer is enough to let me know he has been planning this for a few days.
“Why am I not surprised?”
We busy our selves readying the food for lunch, Leo starts the fire and I begin to peel the potatoes, ‘does the water work?” I stand in front of the rusted sink and stare at the crusted over faucet skeptically.
Leo comes up behind me covering my back with his large body, ‘it should but I would let it run a little bit to blow the rust out of the pipes.” Reaching around me he twists the knob as this guttural sound rumbles through the old pipes. A few short sputters then the water blast red from the nozzle, ‘ha see.” His smile is contagious.
It took several minutes but the water started running clear, I finish with the vegetables as Leo has the fire roaring in the cook stove.
“Now we wait.” He pulls one of the old chairs from the table and nods to the one next to him, ‘care to join me.” I reluctantly cross over to him, he takes my hand and raises it to his lips, ‘Avery I am sorry this has taken so long.”
I fill the chair and listen to it whine under my weight, ‘okay.”
He takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers, ‘well I guess I should start at the beginning,’ he looks up at me, ‘remember the story I told you about blowing my knee out in high school?”
I nod, ‘yes about how you had to find a new profession.”
“Yeah well it was the military then a little bit of college and then the government not as a mechanic in a motorcycle shop.”
“Okay.” I say just to let him know that I am still with him.
“I joined and then Eno, Cowboy, Roman and Dalton followed, we were lucky enough to be placed in the same regimen.” He looks up gauging my reaction and understanding, ‘we were dropped behind enemy lines to gather and provide intelligence and in some cases take out high value targets.”
“You were in Afghanistan?”
“No, but I did participate in the early years of the Iraqi war. I had been discharged before the Afghani deployment.”
“Was it an honorable discharge?” I chew my bottom lip hoping what Malachi had said had been all lies.
“It was but,’ he stops and stands crossing over to the cabinet above the sink taking down two glasses and a bott
le of bourbon. Sitting he pours us each a glass and swigs his down quickly wanting to take the edge off, I do the same. The harsh liquid takes my breath and the burn coats the raging uncertainty in my belly.
“It was, but it was a forced. I had participated in a questionable incident.” He pours himself more and offers me pushing my glass over he gives me the same amount as before, ‘Eno and I were on our last mission before a very much needed leave, we were holed up in the second floor of a building, Dalton and Roman were across the street and we were providing suppression fire for the ground troops.” He stops and takes a drink from his glass struggling with the memories.
He drags in a ragged breath before he continues, ‘I watched as a man shot a woman and child in the head on the street below us,’ he falls silent as I watch his face reveals him reliving the memory, ‘for no other fucking reason than to get a reaction because they had helped us. I had seen so much of that shit, I lost it. I ran down the steps revealing our location putting the rest of my men in danger but I gave the bastard a dose of his own medicine by the way of a 9mm bullet to the head.” He sat back in his chair his eyes had glassed over and I could see he was there all over again, in the street watching those two innocent people die.
I gasp and throw my hand up to my mouth. Seeing his eyes and the distant look he had in them I try quickly to rectify my reaction. Gathering my composure I try to continue the conversation, ‘so that is what Malachi was talking about the other night?” I sip the liquid this time instead of inhaling it I don’t think my throat could take the burn again.
“Yes but I wasn’t court marshaled or dishonorably discharged just simply told my services were no longer needed, basically the military in a not so polite way telling me to fuck off you are a liability. So I walked and never looked back after I graduated from school is when your father contacted me and asked to take me to lunch.”
“My Dad found you?” I tilt my head with the question.
“Yeah I am DEA Avery and your father is my superior. Turns out I possess a certain skill set needed by several branches of our countries government. I just use them now to track down and contain drug trafficking.”
I stand and begin to pace around the small cabin, Leo doesn’t offer to get up, he leaves me alone with all this information processing in my over worked brain, ‘is that all, everything else you have told me has been a lie?” I turn to him fisting my hands at my side overwhelmed with anger and sorrow.
He leans his elbows on his knees but his eyes never leave mine, ‘The story I told you about Molly and Serena, they were not strippers they were also agents, something else I fucked up. And yes Serena and I were together.”
“Oh how refreshing it turns out Leo you are not a complete asshole.” My comment garners me a low grunt from him.
“The motorcycle club is a cover, all the guys at the club are retired DEA or on the verge of it. So when given the opportunity they were more than happy to spend the rest of their careers riding motorcycles and drinking beer.” He laughs at the asinine concept, only in America right?
“And the strip joint?”
Shaking his head, ‘all a show, I don’t own it but the people I am following seem to spend most of their time in them.”
“So the night of the party was all a show?” I pause and gauge his reaction, ‘is there anything else?” I drag the chair farther away from him putting ample distance between us which does not go unnoticed.
“Yes Avery it was, that is why I told you what I did about sticking right with me. I was afraid the guys would get a case of the loose lip. Other than the asshole Max you met in the prison infirmary has been the case I have been on for around ten years now. We have followed him and his men all over the United States and through Mexico till he ended up here and made contact with me. This lands us where we are now. He was using Zach to get information to and from the outside.”
“So Zach was the one who told him about you and me?” I narrow my eyes at him but it turns out he had been right and I hate him for it.
“Yes.”
“But I don’t understand, we had only just met. I mean it was just days.” I can't fathom the reason someone would go from being a decorated marine to a drug lord’s bitch.
“Zach was watching me and in turn saw you that Saturday night at the clubhouse. He knew you from work and I am guessing you pulling the night shift was no coincidence and the reason would be money, some people have no moral compass Avery and Zach is one of them.”
“Where is Zach now?” I sit back down resting my legs that were threatening to buckle under me.
“He is in custody, he has valuable information or I would seriously consider ending that little rat’s life.” He pops the knuckles on all ten of his fingers then flexes the out.
“Leo!”
His face glazes over with anger and his eyes pin me, ‘he sold you out Avery, nearly getting you killed. Then his partner kidnapped you and fucking touched you,’ I watch as a shutter runs down his lengthy frame, ‘hit you, would you like for me to continue?” His eyes darken as the memory of that night.
Ducking my head and closing my eyes trying to push the memories out of my head, ‘no I guess not.”
We sit in silence for quite a while before one of us speaks, ‘so my Dad is your CO?” I stop and raise my eyebrows hoping that I asked it correctly and didn’t sound like a complete jackass.
“Yes.” Leo confirms.
“And I take it he has been for several years,’ I pause again and wait for Leo’s confirmation, ‘why was he trying to warn me away from you at the bistro that day?”
A smirk covers his face, ‘I know I wouldn’t want my daughter dating someone that could potentially get her killed.” He throws his hands up in the air and then lets them fall back to his lap just as quickly.
“Then why knowing there was the potential did you get involved with me?” I sit back and cross my arms over my chest.
His laugh is genuine and deep, ‘I let other parts of my anatomy make those decisions for me.” His large arms encircle his chest as he leans the chair back on its legs.
Looking away trying to hide the smile on my face and the heat hitting my cheeks, ‘well you weren’t the only one thinking that way.”
He kicks my chair with the toe of his boot, ‘oh yeah, liked what you saw did ya?”
“Oh and there is the over inflated ego of yours but yes and I still do.” Somehow feeling guilty we are joking after the horrific story he just told me. My smile fades along with my mood again.
His smile fades as well as he tilts his head up to look at me, ‘so are we good Avery?” He leans in and drags my chair closer to him taking my hands in his.
I take a deep breath and know I am not mad at him for hiding these things from me. Because I feel that Leo is still Leo and me having all the facts only makes my love and admiration for him stronger, but I think I will let him sweat it a bit.
“Avery your silence is killing me over here.” He shifts in his seat.
I hold his hand flat on mine his massive paw hides my hand from sight, ‘Leo I can't say I am overly excited about your choice of professions or the fact you constantly put yourself in harm’s way.” I pause and look up at him, ‘but I am willing to try if you are.” Without warning he stands and gathers me up in his arms as I encircle his neck with mine.
He buries his face in my shoulder placing light kisses on the exposed skin, ‘god Avery, best words I have ever heard spoken.”
I lean my head back and search his eyes, ‘but there is a but isn’t there, there is always a but.”
“Heratio has gone underground and we believe he has left the country.” He lowers his forehead to mine, ‘I am going to have to leave for awhile, the orders came in yesterday.”
Stepping back to look up at him, ‘go for awhile where?” I try to act like I had not heard his confession in the early morning hours.
“South is all I can tell you, Roman, Dalton, Matthew and your father have to leave too.”
; “Does Piper know about all this and of Dalton’s involvement?”
He closes his eyes, ‘she has known for several years because of Roman, I asked her not to tell you but-“ he doesn’t finish his sentence. His breath is hot on my face as he kisses away the tear escaping my left eye, ‘Beeker and Eno will stay behind to make sure you and Piper are not harmed with all of us gone.”
“Wait Beeker?” the memories from the other night come flooding back, he was one of the black clad men who saved us.
“Yeah, his real name is Logan, he is a newbie. You will stay at my house until I get back no arguments or questions understand Avery?”
Nodding at the demand knowing like he said no argument or protest will change his mind, ‘how long will you be gone?”
Shaking his head, ‘hard to say it depends on a lot of shit, could be days could be months.”
“Months?” my voice is shrill from shock.
“I don’t know yet, it will all depend on how easy we can flush him out or pin down useful information,’ I look over at her and smile, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, baby. But I will make sure I hurry home.” Pulling me back in closer to him, ‘what do ya say we get the fire going again and fix us some lunch?”
I had completely forgotten we had been in process of preparing something to eat, ‘just like that you can dump all this information on me and then flip and go to doing everyday things?”
“It is called compartmentalizing and in my line of work it is an essential quality.” Kissing me again he leans down to look at me, ‘you okay Avery I promise you will get use to it.”
Pushing against his chest, ‘I don’t think I will ever get use to the fact you are number one, a trained assassin, number two, you chase dangerous drug dealers for a living and three you can say let’s fix dinner in the same sentence.” I tick the numbers off on my fingers.
His laugh only makes things worse, ‘Avery baby it is just a job and I have been doing it for a very long time. I am good at it and I am surrounded by men that are just as good if not better, so please don’t worry about me I will always make it back to you.”
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